A Wordsmith - Not I

Colossians 1:6

 A wordsmith is somebody such as a professional writer or journalist who uses words skillfully.  A linguist is one who studies the use of words, the scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics.  Just for clarity to anyone who might read this, I’m not either of these, I had to look up the word morphology, the study of the structure of words in a language.

What is the morphology of the word grace in the English language? Simple elegance or refinement of movement: she moved through the water with effortless grace.

• Courteous goodwill: at least he has the grace to admit his debt to her.

• (Graces) an attractively polite manner of behaving: she has all the social graces.

2 (in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.

• A divinely given talent or blessing: the graces of the Holy Spirit.

• The condition or fact of being favored by someone: he fell from grace because of drug use at the Olympics.

3 (also grace period) a period officially allowed for payment of a sum due or for compliance with a law or condition, esp. an extended period granted as a special favor: another three days' grace.

4 a short prayer of thanks said before or after a meal: before dinner the Reverend Newman said grace.

5 (His, Her, or Your Grace) used as forms of description or address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop: His Grace, the Duke of Atholl.

Wow, and you expect someone like me to understand fully how the word is being used in a sentence, you have got to be kidding!  So when the apostle Paul makes this statement; “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing – as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.”  (Colossians 1:6)  I need to deal with a few things that came earlier in this letter; these were the gospel of Christ Jesus and the faith to believe it, and how to understand the truth about grace.  Not (social graces), not (simple elegance or refinement of movement), not (courteous goodwill), nor is it a (title) or a (grace period) so as to make good on a payment.  Jesus Christ the only Son of God has stepped out of heaven and made the payment in full for your desire to live independently from His Father, your debt is paid in full.  You cannot earn grace, your performance will not obtain this grace, and it is a gift from God the Father that cost Him greatly, the death of His Son.

When one invites Christ into their life by faith, that grace is part of the package, Jesus comes to live by His Spirit in that person, and Jesus is grace and truth.  That is why we must understand grace, to be semantically correct in how we use this great word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice